If you’re looking for your next documentary watch to add to the queue, Pluto TV has a wide selection. The free streaming platform offers everything from profiles of artists and inspiring stories of perseverance to scathing investigations and intimate personal narratives. We could browse all day, but to make things easy for fellow documentary enthusiasts, we narrowed down our list. Here are our picks for the best documentaries on Pluto TV.
What are the best documentaries on Pluto TV?
You might not expect Pluto TV to have an exceptional documentary library. We were pleasantly surprised by how hard it was to narrow down this list. Other highlights include Food, Inc. (2008), Blackfish (2013), Against the Tide (2015), and Girl Rising (2013).
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
In 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, who subsequently fled to Canada and revealed she was pregnant with Bagby’s child. Shot, edited, directed, and produced by Andrew’s friend Kurt Kuenne, Dear Zachary chronicles the aftermath of his death, including the legal battles and his family’s grief journey. Kuenne beautifully constructs the film through personal interviews, archival footage, and home videos. As much as the documentary gives us a blunt look at the challenges of the legal system, it also offers an incredibly intimate portrait of Andrew Bagby.
This documentary is extraordinary. Have your tissues ready, because you’ll laugh, cry, scream, and cheer your way through a story that shows the enduring power of a father’s love.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
One of the best sports documentaries ever made, Hoop Dreams offers a full gamut of the emotional viewing experience, on par with any dramatized fictional sports movie. Though often inspiring, this documentary also depicts the real challenges faced by young athletes from marginalized communities
Hoop Dreams follows the lives of two African-American teenagers, Arthur Agee and William Gates, as they navigate the challenges of growing up in Chicago while pursuing their dreams of basketball success. Their talent doesn’t go unnoticed, and the two are recruited by a scout from St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois. Told in chapters from freshman to their senior years, the film gives us a candid look into the lives of these talented young athletes. While it certainly celebrates their personal and athletic victories, it also depicts the obstacles they face, including financial pressures, family struggles, and the failures of the educational system.
The World Before Your Feet (2018)
There are approximately 8,000 miles of streets in New York City, and Matt Green is walking every single one of them. The World Before Your Feet begins six years into his journey, following him as he traverses every corner of all five boroughs. While the documentary is certainly fascinating for its portrayal of Green’s ambitious goal, its true brilliance lies in its celebration of New York City itself. The film is a love letter to the city and its inhabitants, capturing the unique character, quirks, and eccentricities that make it one of the most vibrant places in the world. Along the way, Matt meets a wide range of colorful, memorable characters, and every scene is infused with curiosity, wonder, and a deep appreciation for the small details that often go unnoticed amid the hustle and bustle of city life.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)
From documentary filmmaker Alison Klayman comes Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, an award-winning film that offers a powerful look into the life of an artist creating radical work under a totalitarian regime. Klayman first met Ai Weiwei while living in China in 2008, and the documentary begins in 2011, just after his release from prison, while also tracing events leading up to his 2009 arrest. Between his various art exhibitions in China and around the world, Ai faces intimidation, harassment, and violence — his studio is destroyed, and he is physically attacked in incidents that show a glimpse into the personal risk of speaking truth to power. While the film is already deeply compelling for its exploration of Ai’s groundbreaking art, it is equally gripping as a portrait of an artist’s courageous act of resistance through expression.
The Imposter (2013)
This one is almost too impossible to believe, but that’s exactly what makes it so incredible. How it hasn’t been turned into a dramatized true crime film yet, we’re not sure. Without giving too much away, the Bart Layton documentary takes us to 1994, when 13-year-old Nicholas Patrick Barclay disappears in Texas. His family is devastated, and they cling to hope when they learn their son may have been found in Spain. The Imposter is a shocking character study of a skilled con man who convinces everyone, including the authorities and his family, that he is Nick. The layers of manipulation are both astonishing and deeply unsettling. We can’t help but be pulled into these machinations, questioning how this imposter could pull off such an act. Of course, the curiosity only grows as we wonder how anyone could possibly believe it — or why? Buckle up, folks.
How we picked the best documentaries on Pluto TV
There are truly an incredible number of documentaries to pick from on the streaming platform. We opted for documentaries across different genres, but ultimately chose based on critical and audience reception. We also wanted to include a few picks that aren’t as well-known.
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